Executive Secretary 2
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Posted: April 7, 2026 (0 days ago)
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Department of Defense Education Activity
Department of Defense
Base salary range: $37,764 - $49,094
Typical requirements: 1 year specialized experience at GS-5. Bachelor's degree + some experience.
Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).
This job is for a secretary at a high school in Stuttgart, Germany, run by the Department of Defense, where you'll handle office tasks like scheduling, checking emails and letters for mistakes, and keeping track of employee hours and pay.
It's a good fit for someone with a year of office experience who wants to work overseas in a supportive school environment for military families.
The role offers extra pay for living abroad and is aimed at current federal workers, military spouses, or veterans with the right background.
About the Position: Patch High School Stuttgart, Germany is a one-hour drive from the French border and a two-hour drive from the Austrian and Swiss borders.
Federal employees in Stuttgart, Germany are currently entitled to receive a 42% Post Allowance (COLA) in addition to the base salary.
(This is subject to change) The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is transitioning to the Department of War Education Activity (DoWEA).
Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job.
You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected.
See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.
Current Competitive Service Department of War Education Activity (DoWEA) Civilian Employee Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce Excepted Service Overseas Family Member Appointment Family Member Preference (FMP) for Overseas Employment Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Military Spouse Preference (MSP) for Overseas Employment Priority Placement Program, DoW Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoW MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement Priority Placement Program, DoW Retained Grade Preference Eligible Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social).
You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application.
Specialized experience for GS-06: One year of specialized experience which includes managing office calendars; reviewing correspondence to ensure accuracy; and maintaining office records in areas such as time and attendance, payroll, and/or leave records.This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05).
Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify.
For this grade, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.
Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-05).
You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application.
Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments.
Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis.
If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision.
You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement.
To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire If an employee brings a child to an overseas location and that child is entitled to attend a DoW school on a space-required basis in accordance with DoWEA Regulation 1342.13, the DoWEA and the Military Department responsible for providing related services will ensure that the child, if eligible for special education, receives a free appropriate public education, including related services pursuant to DoDI 1342.12 and DoDM 1342.12.
Major Duties:
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